"We have applied all of the hard lessons we learned in the last two years to the new Cadillac LMP," said GM Racing LMP program manager Jeff Kettman. "It really is a clean-sheet-of-paper approach."
The cornerstone of the 2002 Cadillac program is a new carbon fiber chassis design — designed not on blank paper, but on a clean computer screen.
NEW CADILLAC LMP HAS IMPROVED AERO PACKAGE
"It is a matter of form following function to make the car as aerodynamically efficient as possible within the framework of the series' rules," Kettman explained. "The design of Le Mans Prototypes has changed significantly since the first Cadillac LMP was penned in 1999. Wind tunnel tests of the new aerodynamic package have shown substantial improvements in both lift and drag. We expect these gains to produce an overall improvement in performance while enhancing our ability to tune the Cadillac LMP to track conditions."
NORTHSTAR V8 RACING ENGINE REVISED FOR 2002
Power for the new Cadillac LMP will come from an updated version of the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter Northstar V8 racing engine. A revised induction system and redesigned cylinder heads will complement the 180-degree crankshaft and upgraded engine management system that were introduced in 2001.
"The Northstar engine program has made impressive progress over the last two seasons, and we fully expect this steady improvement to continue," said Kettman. "Working with our development partner McLaren Performance Technology, GM Racing project engineer Ed Keating and his group have produced an extremely reliable engine package. With the enhancements that will be introduced next year, we anticipate improvements in outright speed while maintaining the reliability and fuel efficiency that are absolutely essential in endurance racing."